I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with tribes in North Dakota to advocate for key changes to the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency’s (NDHFA) 2018 Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP).
At Travois, we try to always monitor the QAP process each year, and I appreciated the opportunity to provide input that would help Native American communities with developments in North Dakota.
While some housing and economic progress has been made for Native American populations in North Dakota, these communities still suffer disproportionately from lack of quality, affordable housing and economic opportunities.
For example, median household incomes in the four largest Native American areas in the state are $35,157 — compared with median household income in North Dakota of $57,181 (2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate).
With our tribal clients in North Dakota, we prepared comments with the goal of maintaining 10 percent Indian Reservation Set-Aside because of this ongoing, persistent and unmet need of housing options for underserved communities.
NDHFA recently published its QAP plan with the Indian Reservation Set-Aside we advocated for, and they agree! Read the set-aside language on page 19.
While the set-aside continues to provide critical access for tribes to a tool that has been historically underutilized, other subtle changes we pushed for are equally important. Unlike past years, the highest scoring tribal development — regardless whether the development is on fee or trust land — will be eligible for an allocation under the set-aside.
This change enables tribes to request credits in an amount to make developments more feasible with the ability to plan developments in locations that best meets the needs of the local community.
Over the past two decades, Travois has had the privilege of working with several Indian Tribes in North Dakota including LIHTC developments with the Turtle Mountain Housing Authority, the Ft. Berthold Housing Authority, the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate/Dakota Nation Development Corporation and the Standing Rock Housing Authority.
We are thrilled that NDHFA supports successful LIHTC developments for Native American populations in North Dakota. And we will continue to be actively involved with our clients in the QAP process.
If you’re considering undertaking a new housing development and would like to discuss with us, please email us at development@travois.com.